Touched By The Gods, version 2
by ASwordByAnyOtherName
Summary: Follows the canon of Touched By The Gods faithfully, until Jason gets hurt. The characters always bothered me while watching the episode, so I decided to rewrite it! I don't own anything but the typos!
1. Chapter 1

All Jason knew now was running. They had been constantly on the run for the past 24 hours, barely stopping to rest or eat, and his more stationary life with Pythagoras and Hercules hadn't prepared him to be on guard this much, with his head on a swivel, constantly looking for the next dangerous obstacle.

Their escape route had been planned by the Oracle, and he was grateful for her help – giving them somewhere to go, somewhere to flee to, with a common goal in mind. It helped them all stay sharp and focus, as they put one foot in front of the other. Just one more step, and they would be closer to safety and rest. One more step, and he could finally sit with Ariadne, dream about fleeing Atlantis together and finding a cottage by the sea – that is, if she, like him, didn't see fighting the long, hard, arduous process of fighting Pasiphae. He hadn't been in Atlantis long, and was already tired of the constant "what-if" scenarios playing in his head, the responsibility of his destiny echoed in his ears each night. Sometimes it would just be easier to leave the guilt, the fear of the future, and the responsibility behind.

As Pythagoras and Hercules picked up their pace, Jason brought himself out of his head and back into the landscape. They had traveled past the deserts, into the mountains and now were facing a mountain face with notches high in the clouds. There were some old tracks and equipment nearby – this must be the silver mines, he mused.

Now leading the group, he barreled full speed ahead, not liking the openness of the mine entrance. Everyone around the perimeter could see them, and he saw a swish of movement that proved his point. Slowing down to a more cautious tiptoe, he led the group into the dark unknown.

The path they were on led straight to a fire, though the quiet dampness of the cave made Jason's heart shiver. At the brink of the quietness, suddenly, shrouded figures emerged. They were led by one man who simply stated, "Please. We did not mean to startle you. We mean you no harm." It was then – and only then – that Jason realized these men were lepers, or "the walking dead".

The man's name was Tychon, and over a short period of time, he proved himself to be very astute – knowing Ariadne was princess, picking up on Jason's feelings… there was something familiar in his eyes, too, a sense of longing and a gleam of pride. He spoke of loyalty and power, and Jason could tell simply by the weight of his words that he had lived much, and lost much through his disease.

Just as quickly as the moment came to rest, eat, and relax, it left again as the lepers came out and the mood changed – back to being hunted. Tychon led the group through more tunnels, away from Pasiphae's clutches. Soon he could see light, and Jason's heart slowed slightly. They were back to running on land, something he had too much practice with already. Tychon's sudden stop jolted him back into awareness, and the shared look that passed between them was one of soldiers, fighting for the same cause: to keep Pasiphae's evils away, and to protect Ariadne.

All Jason knew now was running – constantly keeping his eyes open for pesky branches or rocks that could twist an ankle and lead to more trouble than they were in – which was saying something, he mused. It wasn't until Ariadne stopped her dead sprint that he realized they weren't being followed by four familiar feet, but they would have time to regroup with Hercules and Pythagoras soon enough.

For such a sweet moment, all he could hear were their ragged breaths – but soon enough, the inevitable happened. He couldn't mistake Pasiphae's bark, and knew her dogs had found them. He stopped behind a tree, ridding himself of the extra bags he carried for their journey, and urged Ariadne to go on ahead.

The first soldier was easy – a blade left his hands before he could even blink. Before he knew it, more soldiers appeared, and the easy dance began – parry, dodge, thrust, parry again… all until he heard the one sound he was dreading. Hearing Ariadne's panicked cry – his name, she was counting on him – was the last thing he heard.


	2. Chapter 2

The blissful black beckoned him, and he finally understood how tired he was. His feet ached, his joints crackled, and his head – oh, his headache was ruling everything right now – his eyesight, the rising bile and nausea, the ringing in his ears. Tychon – it seems like it was Tychon, but he had barely opened his eyes to check before the light assaulted his senses – was in a rush, and he did the best he could to support Jason's flailing limbs as they trekked through the forest – where, why, or even how, Jason could barely comprehend. He tried to focus on putting one foot in front of the other, but the blackness kept beckoning.

He barely heard Pythagoras shout, and suddenly, he was supported by two sides instead of just one. That seemed better to pass out with, and after a few paces, he let his head loll back, and the darkness rushed in.

Smells came back to Jason first. The burning smell of the fire, the mustiness of Tychon's wrap, and the damp ground he was laying on. His limbs were still screaming with exhaustion, and everything was foggy. In his brain echoed the last thing he remembered hearing – Ariadne screaming his name – and everything seized up as he blinked open his eyes and tried to sit up, thinking – hoping – she would be right there.

"Ariadne" – his voice croaked, and sounded harsher in his ears as it echoed throughout his skull. Tychon and Pythagoras were by his head in an instant, concern written on their faces. Pythagoras bit his lip as Tychon decided to break the news sooner rather than later: "They have taken her; there is nothing you could have done".

Jason's muscles seized up even more as he tried to sit up, trying to put words in the proper order – "No, no, we must go after her, no, no…" Black spots danced in front of his vision, inviting him back into their dark lair. Jason got one foot on the ground before the fogginess finally won out, Pythagoras soothing him back down, "Rest, Jason. You need to rest." Tychon put a hand on his breastplate, and it felt familiar, soothing, even. His breaths came out in short gasps as he battled the black dots for a moment, Pythagoras feeling his forehead for fever, simply repeating, "rest" in soothing tones.

When Jason awoke for the second time, his brain was still really foggy. He knew Ariadne had been taken, and knew that he felt hopeless, but he couldn't figure out how to change that. Why mess with the Fates, when they had been decided?

Pythagoras noticed his drooping head and owlish blinking eyes. He passed a cup that had been sitting by the fire, and the warmth traveled down Jason's spine, activating his senses again. It had seemed as though Tychon and Hercules were bedded down for the night, and Jason was glad for the calm as he tried to work everything out. Pythagoras skirted behind him, allowing him to prop himself up – the black dots were behaving themselves now it seemed, and staying in the shadows of his vision.

Pythagoras had been patiently waiting for him to break the silence, which he did with a sigh as he finally got situated, mildly propped up with the hot cup of – he wrinkled his nose – what was in here, anyway? He bit back a groan as he took a sip, and an acrid, nutty taste filled his mouth.

Pythagoras smiled in sympathy. "It's an infusion of some nuts, dates, berries, and ginger that we could find around the trail. It should help with that feeling of fogginess that you have right now, though it won't replace rest. Jason blinked tiredly. "Thank you" he murmured, taken aback by how much his speech was still slurring. It didn't go unnoticed by Pythagoras either, who simply urged him to take as many small sips as he could, and who caught the cup after Jason fell asleep again, almost mid-sip.

The sun rose quickly through the trees the next morning, and the gentle birdsong of the forest woke Jason up. He still didn't feel 100%, but he felt better, more focused. He joined the group for breakfast, eating the small berries and fruit passed out. Tychon kept throwing glances his way, and he felt embarrassed, ashamed even – he was the only one who was knocked out, the one who wanted to protect Ariadne the most, and the one who spent half the night rambling and sleeping like the town drunk.

After a quick consensus through some pointed glances, they packed up their kit and made to move east. According to Tychon, they would be able to make it back to Atlantis before sundown. In Jason's mind, it was prudent to get there as soon as possible to figure out what Pasiphae was up to, then rescue Ariadne again. He was willing to rescue her for as many times as it took, even if it resulted in his path sewn in metal bars alongside hers.

Jason was more prepared for Tychon's abrupt stop in the forest after almost running into him when he stopped so quickly in the caves the day before. He looked uneasy at bidding them farewell: "I wish you a speedy journey, and a quick recovery" he said in his lilt, the sun bringing out sparks of regret in his eyes. "I must return to my people now". He turned, and with a swish of material, was gone as quickly as he had appeared.

Hercules looked at the spot where he had disappeared from. "Lepers," he grunted, "so quick, can you really trust them?" Jason and Pythagoras shared an amused look as they started the long journey back home.


End file.
